The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-02-16

gasped with thirst-tormented mouth,
and lay still. The chief, who with the
first look had dispatched the nervous
private for q doctor, said quietly: ats
no use," and John Earling walked out
into the night, weak and dizzy from
the scene of death.
CHAPTER XIV.
A hundred sharp feelings were twin
ing and turning about in John Ear
ling's breast as he walked out into the
street from the sevenfold darkness that
had enveloped Ivyl Snaer. For the
moment he seemed bewildered by the
flood of thought and emotion that
crushed in upon him. The burden of
these revelations suddenly imposed
upon him seemed to numb his very
senses. He was going blindly toward
Celeste; blindly in that he did not con-
slider why, or note the forces that inn
PEELED him. The throbbing heart of
his inclination was an impulse, that
fairly cried out in its agony, to tell her
that the black information that had
fallen upon him had not changed him,
save to make her dearer. She had
been sinncd against, he thought, struck
with darkness, drove through hate and
love and murder most piteously near
to him. A kind Of anguish filled him
for her, loves delicious fever with pity
burning in it. He felt, but did not
heed, in presence of this larger feeling,
his own transcendent wrongs. All!
even now, without knowing it, she had
begun to purge those wrongs away
through love, to blot out the black
foundation which her kinsman had
laid in blood with, to him, a sweet and
binding atmosphere of light.
Suddenly he stopped; God in Heav-
en-! what was he thinking OFF Was
he mad? Why was he rushing,
as if gone daft with pity, to
load this heart-breaking thing
upon the shoulders of this blame
less creaturep Why not carry the hor-
ror himself? even if need be caught for
ever SO close to his breast and held so
hard, should she ever lay her silken
head trustingly there. 0 bitter heav-
emily hour! she should not hear it
breathe! Nay, he would hold it from
him until, from want ofsorrow to feed
upon, it fell into ashes and forgetful-
ness! She should not bear it! "Oh!"
he cried there in the lonely street
stretching his hands up toward the
stars, keep her from it, God! She is
good, she is gentle, she is blameless!
Let not this burden fall upon her! Let
me bear it! let me bear it!''
John Earling felt clearer for that
prayer, which seemed like sweat
wruag out of the very fabric of his spirit.
He turned back; why, if this secret
were opened to her might not its APP
palling contents carry her from him?
Would she ever wish tolook him in the
face again, knowing that her kinsman
had been a murderer, and had done
him and his this gall-like and mex
pressible wrong? Nay, how could he
then ever look into her eyes again,
knowing that his very presence must
bring her sorrow and shame? 20,
God!" he cried again, "keep it from
her! Let her innocent life remain I'M
clouded! Leave her spirit, which
is clear and tranquil, still I'M
troubled! Let me bear it, let
me bear it," He did not think of the
land which had been left to her, which
in truth was his, and which had been
so bitterly torn away from him. He
only saw the pain this fell knowledge
would bring to her, and the seeming dan
ger to their love; love which, like life,
'ermounted all known values, He
would 60 away, if need be, that this
dark fact might never reach her heart;
he would remain apart and suffer, if it
came to her, lest his very face should
be pain aud shame to her. All! he
did not know the power of perfect
love; love that draws like turning
worlds! He did not know woman's
soul, a slender woman's strength!
In moment he came to head
quarters again. The windows were
open letting in the lukewarm air, and
he paused irresolute. Inside he saw
uniformed members of the night force
smoking and walking about, and the
chief, phthisicky physician, and the
picturesque private, entering from an
inner room. They went in behind
railing to desk, the private all the
while being very lavish with his con-
glomerate, and the chief took up the
dead mans sachel and opened it upon
the desk. There were some articles of !
faded clothing, some packages of
medicine and minerals and small |
dagger in it. The private looked at |
the dagger as if he very much feared
it might jump up and stab him. In a |
side pocket they found some papers;
them, tied together with twists
of gray hair, as if plucked from the |
head in widest fantasy, was the deed
John Earnings father gave to Ivyl |
Snaer in the long ago, and will be-
queathing the property to Celeste. |
The chief read them in silence, but the |
private sguinted over his shoulder and |
read aloud. John EARRING listened |
with bated breath. Alb, God! then it
was true! it was true!
The private ceased reading and |
,lawed the papers about on the desk;
hey were mainly letters, prescriptions
md recipes in the Spanish, Indian,
Mexican and other South American
and the picturesque private,
ooking hard at them, gasped: "OIy
nags and sand-bars, wat writin'!
Then he twisted his body around in
me direction and twisted his face in
he other, and worked his mouth and
egs in vain attempt to decipher it!
"Osy sand bars!" he blurted again;
but the flag was lawful crazy! Look
t liz writin'" The wheezy physician
ooked and gathered his brow into
tucker. In a moment the chief looked
y. !